1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, and more specifically to a novel device that is added to the seat of a bicycle which will give the rider something to push against and which will therefore allow the rider a more confortable ride while also allowing the rider to apply more thrust to the pedals.
Conventional bicycle seats have been molded and designed after racing bicycle seats whose principle aim is efficiency, for both short and long term, high speed riding. Such seats offer virtually no lower back/lumbar support. In have invented a device which will attach to such a bicycle seat that requires no mechanical tools for attachment, thus providing a means for more effective leg thrust, and therefore, more efficient pedaling for the bicycle rider.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been devices invented which claim to "increase the comfort and leg thrust of the cyclist", but often times these still are far from effective. Some problems encountered with these known devices are that they require mechanical tools to attach and/or adjust (adding weight and using limited space on a bicycle if carried with the rider), they are not easily attached or removed, their heavy weight usually does not justify using such a device in racing applications where weight is a primary consideration, and they do not conform to the curvature of the riders' lower back/lumbar area.
Existing prior patents which may be pertinent to the present invention, "Non-mechanical Bicycle Seat Attachment for Thrust Support", are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 553,722; discloses a back support for bicycle seats employing a rigid support overhanging the seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 592,783; discloses an adjustable backrest for bicycle seats.
U.S. Pat. No. 636,222; discloses a driving back for velocipedes employing telescopic tubes extending from the back to the frame which are independently adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,190,828; discloses a backrest for bicycles, motorcycles, or similar wheeled vehicles which may be swung downward out of the way for mounting or dismounting purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,345; discloses a seat having a backrest that adjusts forward and backward on the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,587; discloses a backrest curving upward from the base. A pair of spaced leaf spring intervene between the pad and the seat in the zone where the back and backrest join.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,516; discloses a mechanical, tubular backrest for a seat that adjusts forward and backward, and extends upward from the seat base.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,770; discloses a backrest for cycle-type seats which is attached by a pivot on the support frame.
British Patent No. 2,408; discloses a backrest employing a tube extending through a saddle pin for adjustment purposes.
French Patent No. 599,972; discloses a backrest mounted between a coil spring interconnecting the seat and frame of the structure.
French Patent No. 1,027,919; discloses a pad forming a backrest for a coil biased seat.
These patents generally show mechanical type devices which attach to a bicycle seat to be used as a backrest; however, none of the known prior art devices offer the new and novel features of the present invention.